Recent Cooking Ventures

Maybe it's the weather cooling down or just this time of year, but I've been on a cooking kick lately, and for selfish reasons, I'm posting it all so when I want to make something again, I only have to look here and NOT all over the internet or worse- through my unorganized cook book.

Herb Roasted Chicken from the Pioneer Woman. Successful.

I made this chicken for dinner on Sunday, made a broth that night, then Monday night we had homemade chicken noodle soup with the leftover chicken, broth, carrots, celery, and these:

Homemade Noodles (recipe from Kona Rudd Hammond)

2 1/4 to 2 1/2 cups flour

2 eggs

1 egg yolk

1 tbsp salad oil

1 tsp salt

Combine 1 cup flour, 1/3 cup water and remaining ingredients. Beat at low speed. Knead in flour until not sticky. Roll out and dry about 2 hours. Cut.

Very good.

Potatoes Au Gratin... from the Pioneer Woman. definitely successful.

Ingredients

• 4 whole Russet Potatoes, Scrubbed Clean
• 2 Tablespoons Butter, Softened
• 1-½ cup Heavy Cream
• ½ cups Whole Milk
• 2 Tablespoons Flour
• 4 cloves Garlic, Finely Minced
• 1 teaspoon Salt
• Freshly Ground Pepper, to taste
• 1 cup Sharp Cheddar Cheese, Freshly Grated

Preparation Instructions

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

Smear softened butter all over the bottom of a baking dish.

Slice potatoes, then cut slices into fourths.

In a separate bowl, whisk together cream, milk, flour, minced garlic, salt, and plenty of freshly ground black pepper.

Place 1/3 of the potatoes in the bottom of the baking dish. Pour 1/3 of the cream mixture over the potatoes.

Repeat this two more times, ending with the cream mixture. Cover with foil and bake for 30 minutes. Remove foil and bake for 20 minutes, or until potatoes are golden brown and really bubbling. Add grated cheese to the top of the potatoes and bake for 3 to 5 more minutes, until cheese is melted and bubbly.

Allow to stand for a few minutes before serving by the spoonful. Delicious!

Pot Roast. From the Pioneer Woman. Successful.

Ingredients

• 1 whole (4 To 5 Pounds) Chuck Roast
• 2 Tablespoons Olive Oil
• 2 whole Onions
• 6 whole Carrots (Up To 8 Carrots)
• Salt To Taste
• Pepper To Taste
• 1 cup Red Wine (optional, You Can Use Beef Broth Instead)
• 2 cups To 3 Cups Beef Stock
• 3 sprigs Fresh Thyme, or more to taste
• 3 sprigs Fresh Rosemary, or more to taste

Preparation Instructions

First and foremost, choose a nicely marbled piece of meat. This will enhance the flavor of your pot roast like nothing else. Generously salt and pepper your chuck roast.

Heat a large pot or Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Then add 2 to 3 tablespoons of olive oil (or you can do a butter/olive oil split).

Cut two onions in half and cut 6 to 8 carrots into 2-inch slices (you can peel them, but you don’t have to). When the oil in the pot is very hot (but not smoking), add in the halved onions, browning them on one side and then the other. Remove the onions to a plate.

Throw the carrots into the same very hot pan and toss them around a bit until slightly browned, about a minute or so.

If needed, add a bit more olive oil to the very hot pan. Place the meat in the pan and sear it for about a minute on all sides until it is nice and brown all over. Remove the roast to a plate.

With the burner still on high, use either red wine or beef broth (about 1 cup) to deglaze the pan, scraping the bottom with a whisk to get all of that wonderful flavor up.

When the bottom of the pan is sufficiently deglazed, place the roast back into the pan and add enough beef stock to cover the meat halfway (about 2 to 3 cups). Add in the onion and the carrots, as well as 3 or 4 sprigs of fresh rosemary and about 3 sprigs of fresh thyme.

Put the lid on, then roast in a 275F oven for 3 hours (for a 3-pound roast). For a 4 to 5-pound roast, plan on 4 hours.

I shredded the roast and we used the juice it cooked in and had french dip sandwiches. It was really good.

Frog Nog (Green Smoothie recipe)

From the Sister's Cafe. Not successful. Maybe it would have been better if I followed the directions closer, but I used canned pineapple instead of frozen, and I may have used a bit too much spinach. Eden and Havi liked it, but that's about it.

2-4 cups spinach or other greens (I use 4 cups organic baby/ or kale)

1-2 cups of water (depending how thick you like it)

1-2 bananas (I use 2)

1 heaping cup frozen pineapple chunks

1 cup frozen mango, peaches or other light fruit (I have used strawberries)

1 Tb honey or agave (optional for sweetness)

First I fill my trusty blender (I use the Blendtec) with spinach--lots of it! Then I fill the container up to the 2 line with water filling in around the spinach. Pulse to blend into a bright green water.

Next add your bananas, frozen fruit ans sweetner, if using. I push the 'whole juice' button and the blender purees it all for me into a wonder smooth green drink. What ever blender you have, just be sure to blend it for a good amount of time to make sure it is as smooth as possible. Pour into glasses and serve!

Easy Apple Crisp (recipe from Sandy) Successful.

Slice enough apples to fill baking dish 2/3 full. Add 1/2 C. sugar and sprinkle with cinnamon. Add 2 T. flour.

Crust:

1 C. sugar

1 C. flour

1 cube butter

Work together with hands and sprinkle evenly over apples. Bake at 375 for 40 minutes. Serve with ice cream.